How to Be the Perfect Celebrity Father: A Photographic Guide

There are many sweet sayings about the moment when someone truly becomes a mother. But what of the axioms about when a man truly steps over the threshold into fatherhood? Is it an emotion that he feels? Maybe it’s an action he performs, or the things that he carries. In the case of celebrities, there are quantifiable moments in a father’s life by which we can measure his level of dad-dom. It’s not so much a sign of his dedication to his child—because they all deeply love their offspring—as they are marks of fatherhood having taken over every aspect of their being. These are the tentpoles by which we can mark the roads a man has walked down, and we know he has truly become a dad. This is the celebrity-dad starter pack.

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Prince William carries Prince George

Level of Dad-dom (on a scale of 1-5): 5

When Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge left the hospital with the future King of England, Kate entrusted her husband with holding their precious cargo. William successfully navigated one of the most difficult dad-plus-baby-carrier obstacles: stairs. Then, he reached the next physical challenge in the dad Double Dare course: placing the carrier in the car. He did so with aplomb, thereby leveling up in the fatherhood process.

Kanye West carries Saint

Level of Dad-dom (on a scale of 1-5): 5

Being trusted to hold the baby carrier is right up there with having your finger on the button. It’s serious stuff. It means that when the baby cries, you’re going to be the first to hear it. You need to be on sun protection duty, making sure to lower the visor the second it gets even slightly bright outside (and yes, it can be too “sunny” for an infant on a cloudy day). Even Yeezy knows this—he’s a father of two now. Look at him, carefully using two hands on that carrier as he and Kim head into a gauntlet of photographers. Yeezus walks more carefully when he’s carrying North and Saint.

Jay Z takes Blue Ivy to the red carpet.

Level of Dad-dom (on a scale of 1-5): 3

Non-celebrity children get to dress up for special events like family weddings, bar mitzvahs, and maybe a grandparent’s 80th birthday party. Celebrity offspring, on the other hand, get to don their finest outfits (which are usually custom-made by their parents’ designer friends) to attend movie premieres, galas, or other red-carpet events. There, they’ll be photographed alongside their proud, smiling dads, as Blue Ivy was as she and Jay Z made their way into the 2016 C.F.D.A. Awards.

Orlando Bloom takes Flynn to the red carpet.

Level of Dad-dom (on a scale of 1-5): 3

Here we have young Flynn Bloom attending his dad’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star-unveiling ceremony. Orlando is most likely thrilled to be receiving a star, and to have his son there for the occasion. Flynn, on the other hand, is probably glad that he’s been placated with candy (see: the bag from Sugar in his hand). Plying one’s child with sugary treats is a well-established part of the dad starter pack. How else do you get a toddler to pose for a scary crowd of screaming strangers with cameras? The celebrity dad knows: the secret is candy.

The Walk of Fame star ceremony is a tried-and-true celebrity dad milestone. The whole family must come out to celebrate. We witness his triumph, and we find a level of comfort we did not expect in his new family-man status.

Brad Pitt in the pop-pop newsboy cap.

Steph and Riley Curry at the N.B.A. finals.

Level of Dad-dom (on a scale of 1-5): 3

Sports dads are always fun dads, especially when they take their precocious kids onto the court to celebrate their victories. Sports dads also have headwear in their starter packs, but they’re usually baseball hats, not newsboy caps. The celebrity dad starter pack fashion Venn diagram can get tricky, so you have to figure out where exactly you’re taking your kids before you figure out what to put on your head. Let the activity guide your hat choice, not the reverse.